The Punjab and Haryana High Court has acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of a journalist, sect head’s lawyer Jitender Khurana said on Saturday. The court acquitted the Dera chief more than seven years after he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. “The high court division bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu on Saturday acquitted him in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati,” Khurana said. The division bench passed the order while hearing appeals challenging the 2019 conviction in the case, he said. “The bench, however, has upheld the conviction of three others in the case,” Khurana added. The journalist’s son, Anshul Chhatrapati, said he will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court. Ram Rahim and three others were convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula in January 2019 for the murder of the journalist in Haryana’s Sirsa. Chhatrapati was shot outside his house in October 2002 after his newspap

Life returned to normal across Kashmir on Saturday as authorities lifted restrictions which were in effect the whole week in the wake of protests in many parts of the valley following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Restrictions have been lifted from all parts of the valley and the situation is normal,” officials said. They said security forces have removed barricades that were put up at some places, including the Lal Chowk city centre here, to prevent the assembly of people. The iconic Ghanta Ghar at the Lal Chowk had been sealed with barricades erected all around it after it witnessed massive protests on Sunday after Khamenei’s killing in a joint strike by the US and Israel. Officials said shops and other business establishments reopened on Saturday morning in the Lal Chowk and other areas of the city and both public and private transport was plying normally. Restrictions on mobile internet, which were imposed on Monday, and prepaid SIM card service

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that voter deletions in the post-SIR electoral rolls were aimed at dividing the state. Addressing a gathering during her demonstration against the alleged arbitrary deletions from the electoral roll in the state, Banerjee accused the BJP of depriving Bengali-speaking people of their voting rights. The CM continued her protest for the second consecutive day on Saturday, after she spent the night at the sit-in site here. “Their (Election Commission and BJP) intent is to divide Bengal. The BJP is planning to take away votes by dividing Bengal. They (BJP leaders) are subjecting Bengali-speaking people to harassment in other states and are conspiring to deprive Bengalis of their voting rights,” Banerjee alleged at the protest site. The TMC supremo had begun the demonstration at Metro Channel in central Kolkata on Friday, accusing the Election Commission of conspiring with the BJP to “disenfranchise Bengal voters” ahead of th

IRB Infrastructure on Saturday said its toll revenue in February 2026 rose 22 per cent year-on-year to Rs 746 crore. The toll revenue in February 2025 was at Rs 614 crore, IRB said in an exchange filing. The toll revenue includes earning of IRB InvIT Fund (Public InvIT) and IRB Infrastructure Trust (Private InvIT). The newly added IRB Harihara Tollways (TOT 17) in Uttar Pradesh contributed its full month toll revenue of February 2026 at Rs 52.8 crore. Of the total 24 toll assets, IRB MP Expressway in Maharashtra contributed the major share of Rs 148.2 crore to the total revenue collection in February 2026, up from Rs 140.9 crore a year ago. Contribution of IRB Ahmedabad Vadodara Super Express Tollway rose to Rs 79.7 crore in February 2026 from Rs 63.9 crore a year ago, which is the second largest in the total toll collection. With Rs 73.7 crore, IRB Golconda Expressway (Hyderabad ORR) was the third largest contributor to the total revenue in February 2026, up from Rs 65.2 crore

The commerce ministry has assured that full benefits under the export support scheme RoDTEP will be restored from April 1 this year, providing major relief to exporters facing challenges due to the West Asian crisis, FIEO said on Saturday. Barring agri and processed food products, the government on February 23 halved the rate of duty benefits under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme. “Good news for exporters. The current 50 per cent RoDTEP rates are applicable only up to 31st March 2026. The full restoration of RoDTEP rates will take effect from 1st April 2026, which should provide much-needed support to the exporting community,” Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President SC Ralhan said. The assurance was given by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a meeting with FIEO. The exporting community had expressed disappointment over the cut in the rates and had urged the commerce ministry to reconsider the decision. The

Women form 23% of employees in listed firms but only 5% of CEOs or MDs, highlighting a steep drop in representation as one moves up the corporate hierarchy

India added 57 billionaires in the past year, even as Mukesh Ambani remained Asia’s richest person and Mumbai strengthened its position as a major global hub for billionaire wealth

The Andhra Pradesh government availed Rs 1.72 lakh crore through special drawing facility, ways and means advances and overdraft during 2024-25, ending up paying Rs 303 crore towards interest, according to a CAG report. The Comptroller and Auditor General report, which was tabled in the Assembly, on Friday said the state government maintained the minimum cash balance with the Reserve Bank of India for only eight days without availing any WMA from RBI. The report further stated that the government’s revenue deficit exceeded the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) target of 2.7 per cent of GSDP, remaining at 3.75 per cent even in 2024-25. This forced the state to borrow for day-to-day expenses and significantly increased its interest burden. The fiscal deficit remained at 5.05 per cent against the mandated 4 per cent ceiling, driving total borrowings to Rs 81,071 crore, crowding out capital expenditure, worsening debt sustainability, and severely restricting fiscal spac

This comes in the backdrop of flight cancellations and rescheduling due to the airspace in West Asia being affected by the ongoing conflict between US-Israel and Iran

Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah’s newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was on Saturday heading towards a sweeping victory in Nepal’s first general elections since the violent Gen Z protests, shattering the dominance of established political parties in the politically fragile nation. According to the latest Election Commission data, the RSP has won 20 seats and is ahead in 98 others. The election is being closely watched by India, which hopes for a stable government in the politically fragile Himalayan nation to take forward the developmental partnership between the two sides. “We look forward to working with the new Government of Nepal to further build on the robust multifaceted ties between our two countries and peoples for mutual benefit,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said in Delhi on Thursday. He said India has “consistently supported peace, progress and stability in Nepal and in keeping with our commitment, provided logistical …

Airlines warn prolonged West Asia conflict could disrupt operations and raise costs as jet fuel prices surge, routes lengthen, and insurance premiums climb, prompting calls for regulatory relief

Despite oil prices staying relatively contained amid the crisis, with traders warning of $100 crude, the impact is already being felt across Asia, the world’s largest energy-consuming region

Overall AQI climbs to 227 with most monitoring stations in poor category; Mundka records ‘very poor’ air quality despite clear skies and warm conditions

Mr Trump has ushered in the age of humiliation. His method is to push around America’s friends rudely and publicly. He knows none of them can afford to fight back

The price of 22-carat gold decreased by ₹10, with ten grams of the yellow metal selling at ₹1,47,690

Temperatures soar above normal across many states, with central India remaining over 30 degrees Celsius. However, a western disturbance may bring light rain and snowfall to parts of western Himalayas

US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence, or THAAD, units are meant to destroy ballistic missiles at the edges of the atmosphere, enabling them to engage more difficult threats

The prices of domestic LPG and commercial cylinders were hiked by a steep Rs 60 and Rs 114.5, respectively, amid rising energy costs linked to the West Asia conflict. Non-subsidised LPG, the one that common household users other than the Ujjwala beneficiaries use in their kitchens, will now cost Rs 913 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi as against Rs 853 previously, according to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) website. This is the second increase in prices in less than a year. Industry officials said the increase follows a steep rise in global energy prices since the breakout of military conflict in West Asia. Despite the price increase, cooking gas in India is priced at the lowest when compared with neighbouring countries, they said. The price increase, the website showed, is effective from March 7. This is the second increase in rates in 11 months. Prices were last hiked by Rs 50 in April last year. In Mumbai, non-subsidised LPG now costs Rs 912.50, Rs 939 in Kolkata and Rs 928.50

Two days of testimony from Agrawal and Segal pushed back on Musk’s own recollection that he was always committed to the deal, but believed that Twitter had lied to him about per cent of spam accounts

Some barrels from US are fetching their biggest premium since 2020, and value of major Norwegian grade, which moves almost lockstep with Brent, has gained more than $5 on the benchmark this week

Government plans to procure 30.3 million tonnes of wheat for the Central Pool in the 2026-27 rabi marketing season beginning April 1

US Treasury allows India to buy Russian oil already en route, signalling possible easing of sanctions on other Russian oil to address global supply gaps, says Scott Bessent

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The tariffs that were a central part of President Donald Trump’s economic policy were struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last month

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A prolonged conflict in the region can be detrimental to the economy, placing pressure on inflation, exchange rate, trade and capital flows, the balance of payments, and the current account deficit

Wars, as the historian Correlli Barnett once argued, are the ultimate audit. They reveal the strengths and weaknesses of states, economies, and institutions

The Strait of Hormuz is currently closed to shipping, choking off 20 per cent of global oil and gas supply

As women open new doors everywhere, the gaps in motorsports – on and off the track – also stand exposed. An International Women’s Day feature